ICLEI publishes climate adaptation guidance

Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments

Local government leaders now have a new tool to help them plan for the impacts of global warming, which range from drought and increased flooding to new diseases and invasive species that are harmful to humans and the environment. King County, Washington, Executive Ron Sims, will introduce “Preparing for Climate Chance: A Guidebook for Local, Regional and State Governments” at the third annual Sundance Summit: A Mayors’ Gathering on Climate Protection where more than 40 mayors are meeting to discuss their local climate action.

The guide was co-authored by the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington, King County Executive Ron Sims (in Washington State), and King County’s global warming team. ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability is a contributing partner and is distributing the guidebook nationally to its more than 250 U.S. member cities, towns and counties. The guidebook will become part of ICLEI’s Climate Resilient Communities program, which is administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The program enables communities to integrate climate preparedness strategies into existing hazard mitigation plans, reduce the costs associated with disaster relief, and prioritize vulnerabilities such as infrastructure, zoning and water capacity.

Earlier this year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report, “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability,” which indicated that certain areas in the United States are already susceptible to flooding, coastal erosion, drought, heat waves, health impacts, and intense hurricanes and wildfires due to global warming.

Executive Sims was initially inspired to write the guidebook with Climate Impacts Group after hosting a large conference on the regional effects of climate change in October 2005. Local leaders attending the conference and those working with ICLEI and the Climate Impacts Group have expressed the need for this type of resource to help with the new work of adaptation facing communities across the nation. In response to this need, the guidebook is designed to take the mystery out of planning for climate impacts by specifying the practical steps and strategies that can be put into place now to build community resilience into the future. These steps include creating a global warming adaptation team; identifying community vulnerabilities to global warming; and identifying, selecting and implementing adaptation options.

.........More